# What happens if an AC gets overworked?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-an-ac-gets-overworked/818784>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 29, 2018, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-an-ac-gets-overworked/818784 "2018-07-29T23:33:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-an-ac-gets-overworked/818784/21 "2018-07-31T03:04:24Z")

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> [@DavidwithanR](#):
>
> (Too bad that more calendar days is the actual goal…)

Sure. But it wasn’t the op scenario. Which was continuous operation for 3 months.

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**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-an-ac-gets-overworked/818784/22 "2018-07-31T05:22:27Z")

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> [@Melbourne](#):
>
> If the outside coils are too hot, the refrigerant will not condense as expected. What effect will this have on an AC unit?
> 
> If the inside coils are too cold, the refrigerant will not evaporate as expected. Does this ever happen in real life?

In normal operation if the out side temps are above 130 F then there might be some trouble. If the condenser fan fails then the then the coils will get too hot and the refrigerant will not properly condense. Discharge pressure goes up, compressor amps increase, and when the discharge pressure gets high enough the high pressure cutout will shut the unit down.

If you can get the space temp below 65 degrees then system is oversized and there will be problems.

Had one office where the President of the university insisted he wanted the stat set to 60 degrees. And on cool winter days it would ice up sometimes.

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**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-an-ac-gets-overworked/818784/23 "2018-07-31T06:17:04Z")

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We have a window unit in the apt office. It’s a small stand alone building. During the summers it’s not uncommon for it to run 24/7 for a month or so at a stretch. I’ve been manager here for about 6 years and it’s like that every summer.

The thing that usually goes out in the individual apt units is the capacitor but I’m guessing that’s due to the on/off nature of running them. If it’s always on you don’t have that.

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